Aloha Friday - Royally Yours

The link ruling my weekend.
http://royalwedding.yahoo.com/

Let's start at the very beginning....

*SIGH*

This Aloha Friday we celebrate the way London celebrates. Genius move, by the way, Royals. Give everyone a holiday and make it a big to do partay. Make it a happy thing. This way we don't have dissension in the ranks from the women weeping into their 4am coffee. What? Awkward. OK. ANYWAY - It's a weekend of wedding and we're rocking it right.

Back to the beginning -- the ring,
where all this starts for everyone not just Princesses. Here are some royal facts.

• Royal Ring Fact - Kate's ring used to be Diana's ring: so romantic, slightly heavy handed *heh heh*, kind of creepy.
• Royal Ring Fact - It is a huge friggin' (technical term) sapphire surrounded by diamonds.
• Royal Ring Fact - This rock is currently worth about 127,000 quid - a little more than $265,000

  

• Fact - Princess Graces' was better.

#1 - If money were no object what ring would you bling?

• Royal Headpiece Fact: "You can't show up as an American to an English wedding without a hat. It is de rigueur." -- Ellen Christine, royal hat maker (Ladies, you've been warned)
• Royal Headpiece Fact: Kate Middleton can wear absolutely anything atop her head and totally pull it off (even a nest of feathers)
  
  

#2 - What would you wear atop your head?
You can either pick something you'd wear to Kate and Wills' wedding
or the veil/tiara/hat you'd walk down the aisle with!

• Royal Cake Fact: Kate has chosen a floral fruitcake while William has requested a family favorite made with cookies.
• Royal Cake Fact: People are only going to eat Kate's cake to be polite.
• Royal Cake Fact: Jordan's Queen Rania and King Abdullah's enormous multi-tiered, rectangular-shaped cake – decorated with crowns and lace embellishments – was sliced down to size with a sword

#3 - On the day you're a princess bride what's your dream wedding cake?
Link us with a picture and leave the flavors in the comments!

.......................................................................................
Recap

#1 - If money were no object what ring would you bling?
#2 - What would you wear atop your head?
#3 - On the day you're a princess bride what's your dream wedding cake?

TO THE LINKYS!
---------------------------------------------------------------

New to Aloha Friday? We've made a video to help you play along!

Get your URL ready and paste it into the URL line.
Click on the 'click here to enter' part of the linky.
Your caption is the number you are answering and your name
............................................................

A Bunny of A Card

We're loving this cutesy cutie made by the ultra fabby Jane Matsumoto.

O FISH ally awesome!

Put together the skills of Crafty Anny , a challenge by Mandi , and some digital Amberinky and you are gonna get some O FISH al awesomeness.

WOYWW - Book It

This is my new favorite thing. My work desk is supposed to be all about my upcoming show, but it can also be about little folding books. My job-job workspace was all about little folding books today too.
What's on your Workdesk? Show and Tell at the marvelous Julia Dunnit's blog of wonder.

The Difference Between JPGs and Tiffs

Have you subscribed to our youtube channel?

What do you want to learn in your digi-journey?

And They're Off!

It's their first lap around the track and they're already gone in a cloud of smoke and flame! Check out what our newest torchbearers are up to! We love these love bunnies.

Our JANE knows, they don't have to be just Easter.
I love that she took these little arguing bunnies and made them make-up!


CATHY has made us this adorable little reminder that we're not alone!


ANNE is going bold this first lap out of the gate!!! She's up to the task of nudie cutie!

Can you even handle the cutesyness of MICHELE's little love bugs?
I for one cannot.

In the meantime, KATIE's gone rogue! Look at the dimension on this spin pin flower! It's enchantement'e <-- a word that had to be invented to mark this shockingly great bit of craftiness.

I'm already in love with our new girls. Swing by their internet craft rooms and you will be too!
TO THE QUEST!

Aloha Friday Winners!

This last weekend our Aloha Friday Game's theme was IRL.  My by far favorite part was meeting the bloggers that you know in real life. Man, these blogs rock.  I thought I'd do a little inventory for the people who didn't get a chance to see them.

Jen's Log


Brown Paper Packaging

 

Brittany's Bloggy Bloggerson


Nancy's Creative Mess


8 Million Random Strangers


Guinevere Design Studio



Behind Mommy Lines

 

Katie's Scrappy Place

The Little Foodie


Well Hello There


Shilo in the City


So, in short -- This week the winner is YOU! Man these blogs are all such delicious treats. This last Aloha Friday was a record breaker for people who played, and I have to say, one of my top 5 favorite to date. 

P.S. I said there'd be winner, but this week's links were just too good. I couldn't pick and so Random.org decided that Jane is taking today's cake. Congrats Jane!

It's Aloha Friday!!! - IRL

NO WORK 'TIL MONDAY! Last week we talked about our virtual lives. This week we reconnect with the real outside world.

This is my Jen, she lives on the edge of reality. The reason I am showing you to her is that I love her and I love her blog, which is her, just concentrated, as in orange juice, not as in focus.

#1. A Blog You Love that Belongs to
Someone You Know In Real Life



In real life, I have grand adventures. I also have exhillirating quiet times.
Usually these things happen with my friends.

#2. An IRL thing you like to do with friends or family.

I'm planning a trip HOME in October. Home is here, Brooklyn, but whenever I talk about HOME in a 'there' kind of way it is always Hawaii. On one of the rare occasions that I won't be on the beach in my neon bathing-suit, I hope to be at the Valley of the Temples. I miss it so.
In its honor:

#3 - A place you've been to before that you
happily go back to again and again.

..............................................................

Ready to play?! Here's how this works.
Get your URL ready and paste it into the URL line.
Click on the 'click here to enter' part of the linky.
Your caption is the number you are answering and your name

If you want to pick your thumbnail picture from the site you're linking to, you'll get to do that if you click on 'From Web'. If you want to use a picture you took yourself or one that's been right clicked and put on your computer all you have to do is click on the "from my computer"choice. You browse, you upload, you're done!

Everyone gets three entries total. If one of our Aloha Friday prompts excites you more than others put your eggs in that basket ;)

My new thing is picking winning links on merit, so impress me.

..............................................................

We Gonna Pass this Torch!

That bitter sweet day has arrived! By now all you lovelies know that at Amber Ink. we pass our torches like they're HOT

Running with that royal purple torch as
passed by queen of color, Jana Weaver

Our girl, Jane stays healthy with some special Ks in her life - Keiji and Ken! She keeps active in her Special K challenge by baking apple pies, cakes, cupcakes, s'mores (ok, check her blog for recipes) and plenty of playtime. Baseball, Bowling, Pool and Golf are the go tos at Jane's party house (her six year old has a swing like Tiger Woods and her eight year old is a Mickey Mantel switch hitter). She's raising some pretty great babes herself!

If you know the way to San Jose, you can find "Calamity" Jane teaching copic classes, catching the latest movie or at her awesome brand NEW job, teaching full-time as a lead teacher at Creative Minds Child Development Center! Our girl's a musti-tasker so maybe you'll find her speed reading in the midst of it all. Better yet, you're sure to find her creating totally amazing projects that you can find right here: http://whoopsiedaisy-jane.blogspot.com/
.................................................................
Carrying the flaming blue torch, caught from our adorable Amy Everson!

Meet the fabby, Cathy Weber! This California Country song bird is happy in a calm way. She inspires joyful content. Our Blue Torchbearer is a nurturer. Her days are filled flocking to those who need a little bit of comfort. Cathy lends a wing to lean on in every way she can, spending her days as a teaching assistant for students with learning disabilities and living her dream of being a mother. Feathering her nest at home with her pets, her husband and last at home daughter, Cathy's prepped to officially become an empty nester!

Her outdoor times must bring her a lot of calm, because she beautifully translates that inspiration to her natural nature-full designs. Flock on over to visit her wonderful blog: http://emptynestcrafter.blogspot.com/
.................................................................
Running strong with our Pink Torch held aloft, passed by our simply marvelous Mandi Moore,

Say "Helllllo" to Anne Cullen! This dynamic stamper walks a tightrope between traditional and edgy (our favorite two points on a map)! These days can find Anne somewhere between her garden and her craft room, but at one point she used to run a bar. Our girl's favorite liquid refreshment is a nice cup of tea, but she'll be more than happy to bring you a round on the house at wine o' clock on a Friday. Anne is the queen of trying new things and starting fresh. She's industrious to boot. We're thrilled to have her at such an exciting new-life time of year!

If there's anything we know about this Scotland babe, she sure is kool! Her brilliant blog is sure to astound. Run and see how kool this babe can be at http://craftyannyskoolkardz.blogspot.com/
.................................................................
Carrying that blazing orange flame as caught from our imaginative and wonderful Anita Madden

Are you looking for whimsy? For fun? For feel good positivity? Oh I know who you should go see about that. Meet Michele! This executive assistant is up and running at dawn. She's an absolute ball of energy! Our big fish in a small pond (thank goodness for blogging, or we'd never be able to get to her!) makes home with Hubby, Jim and three little people - Alyssa, Kaitlyn and Jared. Their hunting dogs bring her Kansas town's population to 703. Tee Hee!

Speaking of the little people, at under 5' tall, our Michele comes to us in a pint sized package. ;) She more than makes up for it in presence. Her larger than life fun-fun-fun personality is up for display on her exuberant blog of whimsy and talent. if you blink you'll miss her latest post they change up so fast! You are really going to have to put on your good running shoes to catch this babe now that she's got that white-hot orange torch in her hands! http://whimsicalcreations.blogspot.com/
.................................................................
Carrying our brown torch, as passed by the amazing Tammy Hellstern

Our Katie is what we've decided can only be described as a "firecracker". We can also use words like "scrappy" (this works both ways). The page layouts and ideas this girl uses to document her overly adorable little family are a kick. You're gonna swoon for these toe-heads. Katie keeps them real, so they don't just become Macy's catalogue models to us. Their daily hilarity is such a fun read.

One of our favorite things about Katie is that she answers the "Kahl". Hehe. Seriously though, she does! As a mom to four, count them, Sam - 9, Molly - 8, Grace - 6, Luke - 4, she also runs her own daycare out of her home! She is quick to the chase. She rolls with the punches and she has fun doing it. She does it all with hubby Hubby Kraig, who's been along for the fun for fifteen years now. Cop a squat and get ready for a wild ride at http://katiesscrappyplace.blogspot.com/

They Ran Far! They Ran So Well!

 

The March Torchbearering Babes have the pass off line in sight!   The new torchbearers are waiting on their marks.   They are drinking their Orange Juice and stretching their muscles  and getting ready for those crazy hot pink, brown, blue, purple, and orange flaming torches, even as we speak!

We're blowing air kisses at our girls as they come in for they victory lap. Our girls of March ran straight, they ran true. We love them so. 

It's Aloha Friday! No Work 'Til Monday!

OHHH HIiiiiiiiiiiiiii There girls!!! It's the best time of the week, Aloha Friday!

I'm sooooooooo excited to finally be experiencing a taster's menu of Spring. Everything seems better in spring. Yesss! So you can tell I'm amped. Here is one of the reasons:



I am so enamored by all that you do. Sometimes I miss it though! I blink and you girls have moved on to your next creative bought of brilliance! Soooo I am thrilled to announce the newest invention at Amber Ink.! This is our page of Amber Linking!!! If you blog something you're dying for our team to see. Enter your link here! We're absolutely sure to check it out!

I can't wait for you to start using it. Our Alumni have been playing with it over the last few days and it's uber fab. You can get to it on our sidebar now ------>

OK you can guess,
#1 - something that makes your life better!

That reminds me..... Oh yeah OK, fine it doesn't. This is just a segue.

This morning for breakfast I had the world's most amazing gluten-free pancakes with coconut oil and fresh zucchini. It made my mouth do summersalts. Instant happy. Of course this tastes much much better on the first days of spring, but isn't that just the way with everything?

Ok. So these are the ones I used to love to eat. I've healthified them for my gluten-free, low fat needs, but you don't want to make the ones I make now. You want to make these because they'll rock your taste buds like the caspa!



#2 - Something it makes you happy to make or eat!
I'd love to hear any back story you have in our comments!

SEGUE!
Tonight I am going to the draw-a-thon! This marks year 11! If we haven't been friends that long, or you have forgotten the thing I mark my year by, the Draw-A-Thon is an all night life-drawing marathon held at my almamater, Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.



I draw naked girls (sometimes guys, but their bodies are weird) You know Amber Ink is all about the nudie cuties. Boys totally don't fit that category. On Draw-A-Thon days I am often accused of being high. I am SOOOOOOOOO happy it's like I've officially hit that spaz place that Daffy Duck resides in.

#3 - Something you do in the Spring that makes you happy!
------------------------------------------------

1. Something that Makes Your Life Better!
2. Something It Makes You Happy To Make or Eat!
3. Something You Do in the Spring that Makes You Happy!

--------------------------------

It's best to right click and save an image to your computer file first.

Link to a URL, not your blog!
Make sure you put the category # (1,2,3) and your name.

(No need to put your email addy.)

That's it! See...easy peasy.
You have until Monday AM!
Enter once, twice or thrice

--------------------------------------

Love Bunny Army!

Tanny P. is our hostess with the mostess over at the Sisterhood of Crafters this week! Tanny's officially transcended to another realm and this week she took our very simple Love Bunny Hide and nurtured it into the most lovely bit of crumb-tastic cakey!

We are thrilled at the luck we have to be sponsoring this challenge during our bubbly Canadian's close up! This girl rocks so hard she's rock candy.

Mandy's been hard at work, making something both pretty and funny!!!

Amy Beth has taken our Sharing time Bunny and made this fun eggs-travaganza!
Silly rabbit, tricks are for kids ;)

Darlene is a member of the sisterhood and she's showing off her mad skills by sharing a card with our Love Bunny - Sharing Time digiStamp. That's our Chick-a-boom pink iPaper in the background too. Since we're just launching this today it's the first time I've seen it in action and I've got to say, I love what Darlene has done with it.



This little sweetie is one of my favorites. It's straight out of the imagination of Miss Anita and isn't it fabby? I love the way the orange ribbon matches the I <3 carrots iPaper. Isn't this budy of ours colored to subtle perfection?

Miki's made this baby worshiping bunny into an adorable card.
I love the way she's ribboned this baby's paws and really made this card work double time!


Jana's taken our little And Baby Makes 3 to create a totally lovely bit of magic. I am so into the layout of this card! It's too cool.


Loooooooooook at this! Tammy's done it again! Our I <3 Carrots Tiny iPaper is joined by our Love Bunny - Sharing Time. This card just seems to sing about Spring!

So the gauntlet's been thrown, yo! Tanny's reminding you that you have until noon (Mountain Time) on Sunday, April 24th to show the Sisterhood your Easter best. Then they'll be doing some winner-picking! So it's time to break out those bunnies and LINK UP!